Splendid Garden Eel

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Indo-Pacific Ocean (Maldives, Indonesia, Philippines). Lives in very dense colonies on immense sandy plains swept by strong submarine currents, generally positioned at the base or margins of coral slopes.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Splendid Garden Eel. It is a Conger eel (Congridae family). The body is extremely thin and up to 40 cm (16 inches) long. Possesses disproportionately large eyes to locate plankton and a hardened pointed tail for reverse-digging into the sand.

Social Behavior: Stationary and hypersensitive creature. Spends its entire life in self-excavated vertical burrows, exposing only the upper two-thirds of its body to catch plankton carried by the current. At the slightest alarm or shadow, it retracts lightning fast, disappearing into the sand.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The most fascinating of the genus: presents thick alternating bands of pure white and bright orange, giving it the appearance of a "candy cane". No evident sexual dimorphism. Juveniles are lighter in color.

Aquarium Setup: EXTREME SETUP: the aquarium must be designed around them. They STRICTLY require a bed of very fine sand (sugar-size) AT LEAST 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) deep, to allow them to bury themselves entirely. Strong laminar currents and a covered tank.

Diet and Feeding: Obligate passive zooplanktivore. Will NEVER chase food: waits for the current to bring it to its mouth. Administer continuous clouds of cyclops, oyster eggs, brine shrimp nauplii and suspended micro-mysis in the current 3-4 times a day.

Water Quality: Perfect Reef parameters. The titanic challenge is keeping the water clean (Nitrates close to zero) while having to feed the tank with massive doses of microplankton daily. Very powerful skimmers, macroalgae (refugium) and water changes are the only solution.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Extremely timid, they literally die of fear if paired with large or frantic fish. Monospecific tank or shared only with tiny pipefish (Syngnathidae), small peaceful gobies and seahorses. No fish that stirs up the bottom.

Aquarium Breeding: Never achieved in captivity. They are pelagic spawners; eggs and larvae (leptocephali) spend months at the mercy of ocean currents before descending to the bottom and settling as small eels in the sand.

Risks and Diseases: Very high mortality rate in captivity due to shallow substrates (they rub against the bottom glass contracting bacterial infections in the tail) and deadly stress induced by tankmates. Acclimatization requires extreme darkness and silence.